


Tightrope

by Faye_Claudia



Series: Where the Runaways are Running the Night [9]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Healthy Relationships, Inspired by The Greatest Showman (2017), Pre-Battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29153190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faye_Claudia/pseuds/Faye_Claudia
Summary: “You pulled me in and together we're lost in a dream, always in motion,So I risk it all just to be with you, and I risk it all for this life we choose”
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Series: Where the Runaways are Running the Night [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1110813
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Tightrope

The sun was barely visible over the horizon when the Dragon Riders left the Edge. The wind bit at their cheeks and noses and battered at their hair. The stars were still visible above them, and the ocean was an icy black mass of waves beneath them.

Astrid knew the way to Berk by heart, had traced the route on maps with her fingers when she missed her home. Had flown just close enough to see it without being seen more times than she could count. Her old home. She could have flown this route blindfolded, guiding Stormfly through rain or sleet or fog without hesitation. And yet, everything in her screamed that this was a bad idea. That all that waited for them on Berk was pain and heartache and dead dragons.

Hiccup let Toothless lag for a beat, coming to fly next to Astrid. Heather fell into the lead instead, axe strapped to her back, gleaming a matching silver to her razerwhip in the dawn’s light. This, their family, they were a well-oiled machine, and something in Astrid’ chest let her breathe a little easier. Their family had grown in the past months, from just Dugur, Heather, and Eret, to include old friends; the Twins, FIshlegs, Skaga, even Snotlout. Their formation was larger than she was used to, and so was the support for Hiccup and their dragons. It was a hopeful sight, seeing this many riders fall into formation flawlessly.

Hiccup lifted his helmet to meet his betrothed’s eyes, and he smiled shakily.

“Your mom is absolutely fine,” Astrid assured him. He had always been so easy to read, she thought fondly. “You don’t know that,” Hiccup shot back, and Astrid shrugged.

“You’re right. I don’t. But she’s strong, and she’s lived with a Bewilderbeast for twenty years, so getting anxious about your mom talking to your dad’s a little ridiculous when you put it in perspective.” Hiccup chuckled weakly, the sound barely reaching Astrid over the sound of rushing wind. “You always know exactly what to say,”

Astrid hummed in response. It didn’t do to voice her own anxieties over Hiccup’s. Not today. They had done that yesterday, spoken for hours about their fears and apprehensions about their upcoming battle. “Remember, today is for action,”. A look passed between the two of them, the kind of look warriors shared before a battle, the kind of look lovers shared before they faced a hardship together. Hiccup was Astrid’s partner, in life, in battle, in everything. Nothing could shake that. They had chosen each other. Hiccup’s transition back to the front of the formation was just as smooth as Heather’s transition back next to Dagur.

Berk looked the same. That is to say, there were new buildings mixed with old, there were high rocky cliffs and sheep grazing and Vikings preparing for battle against dragons. Most of the villagers were down at the docks, ready to meet the riders. No doubt they all found the riders equal parts fascinating and scary, a group of masked vigilantes on the backs of fearsome beasts led by their chief’s son. It must’ve seemed bizarre to the villagers. Astrid spotted her parents among the crowd, her mother’s spun-gold hair now streaked with grey, her father’s stern face sporting more lines than she remembered. If this worked, if this went as planned, she might have a chance at reconciling with them.

Right at the forefront of the crowd stood Stoick, his size, massive red beard and imposing aura impossible to miss. Even more impossible to miss was the massive orange dragon looming over his right shoulder. Astrid heard hiccup draw in a breath at the sight of his mother and Cloudjumper, unharmed, and in close proximity to Stoick who was not waving a weapon frantically at the dragon. Instead, he had his right arm wrapped around his wife’s shoulder. Astrid grinned under her helmet; perhaps Stoick had listened after all.

Their landing felt almost ceremonial, it felt like a home coming. Perhaps not to Dagur and Heather, or to Eret, but to the Berk kids – who weren’t really kids any more – their dragons touching Berk soil without being shot down or sending villagers running for their axes and catapults, this meant something.

Stoick stepped forward to greet Hiccup, but Hiccup held up a hand, palm raised to stop him.

“We have a lot to discuss, lets start with how we’re going to take out the queen.” Business first. They could deal with family matters later, Hiccup had discussed this with Astrid. He wanted the heavy expectations out of the way first. Astrid suspected Hiccup was half-hoping in that whiny, sarcastic way of his that he’d never quite grown out of that he might die in the attack and not have to deal with the emotional stuff.

Like she’d let him wimp out of that.

“It’s been a long time coming, chief,” Astrid rested her elbow on Hiccup’s shoulder – something she used to be able to do without reaching upwards – “lets kill this bitch.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is so much shorter than it should have been. Also I realized halfway through this that I've basically ignored all the other characters outside of Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick and Valka.  
> But. We're so close to the end! Two more after this. And maybe a couple reprises if I give in to my need to write more about Dagur. 
> 
> As always, this is not edited.
> 
> Come find me on tumblr: https://tinyfeministpixie.tumblr.com/


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